Be Here Now
by CharlieLee
Summary: "I feel like shit, Klaus. And yeah, tomorrow I'll probably be fine. I'll be ready to be there for everyone again, maybe even you, but tonight? Tonight, I feel like shit." She spoke slowly, ensuring he heard every single word that she said. "And all I can do is feel it." - One-shot takes place after 4x17. Caroline contemplates turning it all off.


**Let's pretend that Silas didn't stab Klaus at the end of 4x17, just for a minute or two. **

**Just a one-shot. **

**Summary: Caroline has a bit of a melt down, because I seriously think she'd be justified in having one. Klaus _tries_ to help. **

**Please review! **

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"Caroline?" She didn't need to turn, she'd have known that voice anywhere. She should have known he'd have come, because he 'loved' her.

He didn't, not really.

Nobody loved her, and if they did, it was nothing in comparison to their love for Elena. Caroline Forbes, lived forever in the shadows.

"Sweetheart, you know that it won't kill you, don't you?" He asked, his voice soft, soothing. There was fear in his voice, she could hear it, but it wasn't because he was afraid that she'd die.

No, there was little risk of that happening.

He was afraid of something else, probably _Silas. _

"I like it up here." She said, taking an unnecessary, large gulp of air. She continued walking along the narrow ledge, watching the lights of the cars that sped by below them. "You want to know why?" He didn't answer, she didn't want him to. "I look down, and for a couple of seconds I like to pretend."

"Come down." He commanded, but she didn't miss a step.

"I pretend-" She said, laughing lightly. "I pretend that it could all be over in a couple of seconds. It's strange, isn't it?" He pursed his lips, and watched as she twirled, bottle clutched to her chest. "I'd be just a memory, you know. Something that people could miss."

"Caroline, this isn't you." He told her, approaching slowly. "You're strong, you're beautiful, you're-" He began repeating the words he'd spoken to her the night of the ball, but she cut him off.

"Full of light?" She laughed, but it was empty. "I was, or at least, I try to be." She stopped, her shoulders sagging. "I try so hard, Klaus, but I'm not." She hiccuped, then sobbed. He tilted his head, searching for something to say, something to make it better. "I killed twelve people." She muttered, staring at the ground. He tried moving closer again, but she lifted her head, a haunting smile playing across her lips. "I killed twelve people!" She screamed, to no one in particular. She laughed hysterically, twirling along.

"And do you know _why _I killed twelve people? Why I nearly let Elena kill me?" That was news to his ears, "Because I'm afraid of losing the people that I love, and sometimes I wonder if there is anyone afraid of losing me." Her smile fell, she was sad again.

"Caroline-"

"I'm disposable. That's what it is. I'm too pretty for my own good." She drank, ignoring the burning sensation as it coated her throat. "How many times did I play the distraction, huh? I mean, you could have _killed _me." She waved her hands dramatically, and had she not been a vampire, she could have easily tumbled over. "You could have _staked _me- And no, Klaus, that's not a euphemism. I don't care what Elena said, I do not have dirty thoughts about you."

He couldn't help it, he smirked. She glared at him.

"Caroline," He said, regaining his composure. "I would _never _hurt you." She laughed, and he frowned.

"You hurt me, like, all the time."

"I wouldn't exactly say-"

"You got Tyler to bite me, you stabbed me, you bit me, you ran Tyler out of town, you were cruel to me, although you had every right to be-" She shook her head at him, a fresh stream of tears flowing down her cheeks. "The point is, I _never _expect you to hurt me."

He stared at her. She was standing on the edge of building, hundreds of feet in the air, twirling like she didn't have a care in the world, a bottle of alcohol clutched tightly to her chest. She spread her arms wide, allowing the bottle to drop and smash into pieces.

"Stupid, right? I mean, you're Klaus, you're _terrible." _He watched her for several moments, simply _waiting. _

"I thought I could fly," She whispered, tipping her head back. "so why did I drown?" She extended her tongue, trying to catch the first raindrop as it fell. She smiled.

"Caroline, you'll be fine." It wasn't much. In fact, it wasn't anything. He just- "It's just a bad day, Love, not a bad life."

"Don't I ever get to be upset?" She asked him, anger in her eyes. "No! Because of _poor, poor _Elena. And Bonnie's-" She rolled her eyes, "Well, Bonnie's sort of-" She looked for the right word, for the right explanation. "Oh _God, _I don't even know. This is so _fucking _insane! I'm a vampire. Seriously, I'm a vampire."

"I know." He said, extending a hand to her. "Come down, _please." _

"I can't,"

"You can," He spat, struggling to maintain his calm exterior. "You just won't."

"I feel like shit, Klaus. And yeah, tomorrow I'll probably be fine. I'll be ready to be there for everyone again, maybe even you, but tonight? Tonight, I feel like _shit." _She spoke slowly, ensuring he heard every single word that she said. "And all I can do _is _feel it." She turned again, and lowered herself to the ledge, so that her legs dangled off the edge. "Then again, I could always turn it off." He was beside her in a second, his jaw set tightly.

"No you won't." It was an order, because he would do it, he'd compel her if he had to.

"No," She sighed, "I won't. I won't do anything, Klaus, so you can relax." He sat beside her, relieved when she didn't move.

His entire body tensed, but quickly relaxed, when she lay her head on his shoulder.

"I think," She hiccuped. "the great Caroline Forbes breakdown of 2013 is over." He laughed,

"I'm glad. Would you like me to take you home?" He asked her, but she shook her head.

"I want to stay, just for a little while."

So they stayed, sitting side by side as the sun rose in front of their eyes, and the darkness disappeared. Somehow, his arm had found it's way around her waist, and she'd taken to fiddling with the chains around his neck.

Neither spoke, not once.

She was the first to leave, standing silently, and making her way towards the roof door.

She turned, however, half way, and watched as he remained completely still, sitting on the ledge.

"Klaus?" She called, but he didn't turn around, and she barely heard him hum in answer.

"Thanks for loving me."


End file.
